Serving wine by the glass during these challenging times

Restaurants, hotels, bars and pubs, have to continue to serve customers wines by the glass, even though there are fewer customers than before. Plus, they have to continue to offer the same selection of wines by the glass as well.

So what can they do to ensure that the wines served are fresh AND they don’t need to throw away opened bottles of wine that have gone off?

There is no shortage of options in the wine preservation space. Here are a handful of options available:

1. Handheld Vacuum Pumps

One of the oldest wine preservation gadgets, the handheld “vacuum” pump, has been a staple in many kitchen drawers since 1986 and can still be found in some restaurants and bars to this day.

The concept made sense - pump some air out of the bottle in an effort to create a vacuum. Users loved the personal satisfaction felt from pumping until you hear that famous “click”!

But in reality, they don’t really create a true vacuum, so you’re still leaving more than enough air in the bottle to allow for oxidation. In fact, an increasing number of experts say they do more harm than good as the pumping actually strips some of the precious aromas from above the wine.

Handheld vacuum pumps are pretty simple to use, dirt cheap, but not very effective.

2. Dispensing Machines

Fast forward to the 21st century and you can now outfit your restaurant or bar with fancy, high-tech machines that try to do everything for you, including push-button pouring, chilling at the right temperature, and preserving bottles with large industrial sized canisters of argon gas.

Some can even be extended to allow customers to walk up, insert a credit card, and serve themselves! Pretty cool.

But they are not cheap - we’re likely talking thousands of pounds.

The argon does keep bottles well preserved, but installation considerations can be complex, and this is definitely the most expensive option out there.

3. Coravin©

The Coravin© craze continues with their latest version gaining more bells and whistles like wireless bluetooth connectivity, rechargeable batteries, and companion mobile app.

For the hardcore oenophile at home or the wine gadget addict who wants the option to taste how their cellared wines are evolving over many years, this £500 gadget is definitely for you!

However, restaurants and bars that use it need to make sure that they own enough of the devices to handle busy periods, stock the small replacement argon capsules (good for up to 15 pours), train their staff how to use it properly, and ensure that the fragile needles are cleaned consistently to prevent contamination.

An effective wine preserver, but the busy restaurant owner may want a simpler and/or a more scalable solution.

4. Private Preserve

The grandfather of wine gasses, Private Preserve has been around since the eighties.

It contains a bunch of gases, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon.

Since it does contain some argon (albeit third on the list of ingredients), the carbon dioxide and nitrogen are really just taking up space as it’s the heavier argon that will sink to serve as the protective layer above the wine.

They may look like cans of industrial spray paint, but they are cheap and even a little argon is better than nothing.

5. Winesave PRO

One of the common characteristics of the more effective wine preservers is that they all leverage argon (a truly inert AND noble gas), and Winesave is all about argon.

Winesave was the first to provide a handheld canister containing 100% high-quality, food-grade argon in 2009 and their latest version, the winesave PRO, has the most in the market - up to 150 applications.

The tube connected to the canister is flexible so it won’t snap off in the bottle and is made with an ultra-repellent material to help prevent contamination. The patented canister not only looks slick, it also has a nice weight to it in your hand as well.

Trade customers in the UK can buy winesave PRO wholesale direct from the manufacturer (winesave.co.uk) at a substantial discount with free shipping which makes it quite affordable.

Winesave is an effective, easy, and affordable solution for any restaurant, hotel, bar or pub that serves wines by the glass - highly recommended during these challenging times.